This invention is an optical data-storage hard disk drive that uses stationary Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips in place of conventional "Flying-Heads", "Rotary Voice-Coil Actuators", and other similar types of "Servo-Tracking" mechanisms. Furthermore, each Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive will consist of at least, but not confined too, one disk-platter having two data-surfaces; wherein, the aforesaid data-surface will contain a multiplicity of concentric data-tracks that are rotated at a substantially constant angular velocity. In addition, each Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip is to be placed into a stationary position above each disk platter data-surface by a chip-positioning circuit board; wherein, the number of cylinder/tracks available to each Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip is determined by the number of (VCSEL) "Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser" microheads contained within a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's microhead array (e.g., "325,000" vertical cavity surface emitting laser microheads would therefore equal "325,000" corresponding cylinder/tracks).
Moreover, each Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip will contain, within a single chip device, a VCSEL microhead array (e.g., an array containing a minimum of one thousand or a maximum of four billion individually addressable VCSEL microheads individually used as a light source during a read-data or write-data disk-operation), a microhead "Address Latch And Chip Select Circuit", a microhead "Address Decoder Circuit", a microhead "Address Buffer Circuit", a "VCSEL Microhead Power Control Circuit", a "Read Preamp Circuit", a "Read Decision Circuit", a "Read Buffer Circuit", a "Planar Induction Coil Control Circuit", a "Write Driver Circuit", a "Write Preamp Circuit", a "R/W Control Circuit", two reversed-biased "Semiconductor Photo-Conductor" linear position-sensing "Cadmium-Sulfide" photocell-array read-elements, or as an optional embodiment two reversed-biased "Semiconductor Silicon Photo-Diode" photocell-array read-elements (e.g., providing a optical read-data reference signal-voltage output and an optical read-data read signal-voltage output during read-data disk-operations), and two (BIMPICs) "Bi-Metal Planar Induction Coils" (e.g., used to vertically magnetize thermally confined disk-surface magnetic data-domains during write-data disk-operations).
Furthermore, and, with the exception of the beforementioned semiconductor photocell arrays, and (BIMPICs) "Bi-Metal Planar Induction Coils", each aforesaid Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip will have its various photonic and electronic semiconductor components constructed from a single "Silicon-Oxide" wafer; moreover, using conventional manufacturing methods, like (MBE) Molecular Beam Epitaxy, lithography, and chemically etching. In addition, if the beforementioned Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip contains a microhead array of three hundred and twenty-five thousand individual VCSEL microheads; wherein, each microhead within said microhead array has a diameter of 200-nm (i.e., "200" nanometers), the aforesaid Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip would measure "2.358" inches in length. And, furthermore, if a "2.358" inch Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip were used in a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive design, the beforementioned hard disk drive's form-factor would be a standard "3.5" inches. Every Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip installed into a hard disk drive's unit-assembly is assembled into one stationary fixed position; wherein, one Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip is positioned approximately one-micron above and perpendicular to every disk-platter data-surface used in a hard disk drive's unit-assembly. Furthermore, the individual VCSEL microheads contained within a microhead array have an emitter centerline to emitter centerline dimension of 300-nm; wherein, each VCSEL microhead emitter's top-surface has an elliptical dimension of "200".times."210" nanometers. Furthermore, these VCSEL dimensions are a-typical for any Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip installed into a hard disk drive unit-assembly.
In addition, the use of standard semiconductor lithography, etching, and masking techniques are used to manufacture a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's two (SPD) "Semiconductor Photo-Diode" photocell array circuits, microhead-address latch-decoder circuits, Chip-Selection chip-control circuits, data I/O circuits, pre-amplification circuits, data encoding/decoding circuits, and digital-signal processing circuits, along with a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's address, data, and control-bus circuits. In addition, the VCSEL microhead arrays contained within the Previously Mentioned Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips are created using (MBE) "Molecular Beam Epitaxy", or (MOVPE) "Metal-Organic Vapor-Phase Epitaxy"; moreover, two methods used in electro-optic manufacturing.
As demonstrated, within prior art, conventional flying-head assemblies (i.e., what are sometimes called "head stack assemblies") are simultaneously moved, as a group, to or from cylinder/track locations during a host-requested read-data or write-data disk-operation. As defined, data-tracks are closed concentric circles of sectored digital-data, which begin at the center of a disk-platter's data-surface and radiate out away from that center, one concentric circle after another, toward a hard disk drive disk-platter's outer-most circumference. Moreover, conventional prior art technologies use a Rotary Voice-Coil Actuator or (i.e., what is sometimes called a "Rotary Positioner") to accomplish track-to-track head-stack movements (i.e., the movement of a head-stack across a hard disk drive disk-platter's data surface from one concentric circle of sectored data to another).
However, during host-requested Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's disk-operations mechanical movements of the beforementioned Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips' VCSEL microheads, from one concentric cylinder/track to another, is unnecessary. Moreover, the beforementioned Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips, while containing a multitude of stationary VCSEL microheads, would already have, ready for use, one of its stationary VCSEL microheads positioned at a host-requested cylinder/track location. Therefore, unlike conventional electromechanical Rotary Voice-Coil head switching, and head stack positioning, the Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips electronically switch from one VCSEL microhead to another, digitally.
Furthermore, a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's cylinder/track addressing numbers, and the beforementioned VCSEL microheads positioned above them, have the same address number locations. For example, during a host-requested disk-operation; wherein, a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive Disk Controller will address a single stationary VCSEL microhead; contained within a chip-selected Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's microhead array; wherein, the aforesaid Disk Controller is also selecting a cylinder/track location, which is directly underneath the beforementioned microhead's fixed stationary position. Therefore, a cylinder/track location, and the beforementioned VCSEL microhead positioned above it, would consequently have the same addressing number and location. Furthermore, during a read or write-data disk-operation, a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's Disk Controller will receive from a host computer, a request, to either read or write data at a particular disk-platter's data-surface and data-sector location and, therefore would contain:
(i) A data-head selection number (e.g., head number five, but sent as a binary code signal, like 00000101)*, which is translated and used by the aforesaid Disk Controller to select one particular stationary Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip that is located above a corresponding disk-platter, and, therein, data-surface, PA1 (ii) A cylinder/track locating address number (e.g., cylinder/track number fifty-four, but sent as a binary code signal, like 00110110)*, which is translated and used by the aforesaid Disk Controller to locate a VCSEL microhead, which is also located above a cylinder/track location having the same address number, moreover, a cylinder/track location that also contains the system requested data-sector's data or data-sector's data-less data-areas, PA1 (iii) A data-sector number (e.g., data-sector number twelve, but sent as a binary code signal, like 00001100)*, which is translated and used during a read-data or write-data disk-operation by the beforementioned Disk Controller to activate an address selected VCSEL microhead, and at a time when the data-sectors containing the system requested data is rotated into a position that is directly underneath an address selected VCSEL microhead, where a read-data or write-data disk-operation will occur. Note: * "0"=low-voltage electrical signals, while "1"=high-voltage electrical signals. PA1 (a) A general object of the present invention is to provide a fixed disk magneto-optical data storage device that overcomes several limitations and drawbacks present in the prior art previously disclose; PA1 (b) to provide a magneto-optical hard disk drive that uses a dedicated head-to-track system. Where each installed Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip could have a minimum of one-thousand or maximum of four-billion stationary, individual, and addressable read and write VCSELs constructed into each Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's microhead array; PA1 (c) to provide "average access times", or the amount of time it takes to find requested data by moving the head stack assemblies from one data-track to another data-track as described in the prior art, but for the Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive the average access time is about "150" nanoseconds in duration. PA1 i. (-CS7) "Chip Select" bus-line number "8", will first have its logic-high control-signal changed to a logic-low control-signal; therein, causing a Chip-Selection of Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip number "8" to occur; wherein, Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip number "8" will become the only Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip affected by any future chip-control bus-line signals; moreover, Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip number "8" is selected because it is the only circuit-board positioned Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip; positioned over disk-platter number "4", data-surface number "8", which is where the host-requested data or data areas have their location. PA1 ii. VCSEL microhead number "54", which is located in a stationary position above concentric cylinder/track number "54", is selected next when the beforementioned Asynchronous Optical Microhead Address Controller sends out a "32" bit signal, representing microhead address number "54", down a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's 32-bit Microhead-Addressing bus-line, which connects to every Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip that is installed into a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's unit-assembly, affecting only Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip number "8"; moreover, the only chip-selected Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip connected to a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's bus system. PA1 iii. (-AS) "Address Strobe", a microhead address control bus-signal, after having its logic-high control-signal changed to a logic-low control-signal, is sent down a single bus-line that connects to every Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip that is installed into a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive's unit-assembly; wherein, an execution of a strobed latching of the beforementioned, and simultaneously sent "32" bit microhead address control bus-signal, into a (-CS) "Chip Selected" Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip's address-latch storage circuit. PA1 iv. Hereinafter, the beforementioned "32" bit microhead address bus-signal being simultaneously sent down its "32" bit microhead address bus-line will execute a selection and enabling of a single VCSEL microhead that is located in a stationary position above data-track number "54", which in-turn contains data-sector locations "42,43,44,45"; moreover, the physical locations, which in fact mirror the beforementioned host-computer system's previously requested data locations.
Furthermore, a Disk Controller that is used in a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive design will forward all system supplied microhead location address numbers to a Disk Controller's PCB located "Asynchronous Optical Microhead Address Controller" for translation. Wherein, the newly translated microhead location addressing number is to be forwarded to a chip-selected Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip, from the Asynchronous Optical Microhead Address Controller's (MAB) "Microhead Address Bus", as thirty-two low and/or high binary-signals. Therein, a chip-selected Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip will respond to these bus supplied binary-signals, by first latching the aforesaid thirty-two low and/or high binary-signals into its internally located "Address Latch And CSC" circuit; wherein, the decoding of said thirty-two low and/or high binary-signals can proceed.
Furthermore, the decoding of a VCSEL microhead's location addressing number will cause a single selection line leading to said VCSEL microhead to change from a logic-low voltage-signal to a logic-high voltage-signal, which will select the aforesaid VCSEL microhead, by giving it access to the (WLV) "Write Laser Voltage", and (RLV) "Read Laser Voltage" bus-line bus-signals, which are in turn used to activate a selected VCSEL microhead's laser-emissions. Consequently, a selected VCSEL microhead will have the same physical-location and address-number as a host-requested cylinder/track location; containing a data-sector(s) of requested read-data, during a read-data disk-operation, or an empty data-sector(s), during a write-data disk-operation. Consequently, its only after the selection of a stationary VCSEL microhead located over the requested cylinder/track location has been successfully accomplished, is the host-requested read-data or write-data disk-operation finally executed.
Furthermore, because the Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips are designed to be fully-integrated semiconductor devices; thereby, allowing the Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chips to accomplish 200-ns (i.e., 200 nanosecond) "track-to-track" switching times or (i.e., what is sometimes called in conventional hard disk drive design "average seek times"). In addition, a Magneto-Optical Microhead Array Chip Hard Disk Drive design will use an "ID-less" sector-locating and tracking system.
Moreover, an ID-less sector-locating and tracking system has several advantages over the conventional "ID After Wedge" or "ID Before Sector" methods of sector locating and tracking. For example, the lack of an ID or "Identifier Field" written to a hard disk drive's disk-platters' data-surfaces, will regain approximately 4% of the beforementioned disk-platters' data-surfaces real estate, for end-user data-storage. Furthermore, in case of errors a "Sector-ID" is neither read nor corrected, during a read-data or write-data disk-operation, the overall data throughput for the beforementioned hard disk drive is also increased.